Violent Crime Rises in South East England

Figures released yesterday by the Office of National Statistics show that the level of crimes categorised as 'violence against the person' in the South East of England were up by 15% compared to the previous year.

The overall crime rates in the South East however, were seen to drop slightly, with crimes such as homicide down by 33%. Overall crime levels in Sussex were up slightly, Kent being the only other area in the region to have a rise in crime levels, by a marginal 7%.

Sussex police have released their strategy for the new year which aims to improve customer service and online access and 'to be more responsive to the needs of different types of people rather than provide a one-size-fits-all approach'.

The force also stated that it aims to be more open and honest, continuing with improvement to police accountability procedure.

A scheme called 'TrackMyCrime', which has been piloted in Brighton & Hove, is set to expand this year. It is a system that allows victims of crimes 24/7 access to a secure online service that allows them to get updates on the progress of the investigation of their crime on demand, rather than having to wait until the investigating officer is on duty.

Last year, plans were approved to increase the policing part of the Council Tax for 2014-15 by 1.95%, adding £2.70 per year per household for a Band D property in Sussex. These funds were to be specifically allocated to fighting emerging crime threats such as reducing serious sexual offending and tackling child exploitation, strengthening the fight against cyber crime and recruiting police officers, police, community support officers and specialist staff.